This relates generally to displays, and, more particularly, to autostereoscopic displays.
Electronic devices often include displays. Three-dimensional displays are able to display images that have a three-dimensional appearance. Autostereoscopic displays can display three-dimensional images without requiring viewers to wear special glasses.
Three-dimensional displays present different images to a viewer's right and left eyes, giving displayed images a three-dimensional appearance. Challenges can arise in creating high quality three-dimensional displays. When a user views an object, the user's eyes pivot in opposite directions until the user's eyes both point towards the object. At the same time, the lenses of the user's eyes are adjusted to focus on the object. When viewing real-life objects, there is an inherence congruence between the viewer's eye motions (vergence) and location of focus (accommodation). Without appropriate vergence accommodation congruence, a viewer may experience discomfort when viewing a three-dimensional display.
Autostereoscopic displays have been developed that enable vergence accommodation congruence while viewing three-dimensional objects. Such displays include pixels that are capable of emitting light in any of a number of different directions. By controlling both the spatial location of each active pixel and the angular orientations of emitted light rays from each of these pixels, three-dimensional images can be displayed without causing discomfort for a viewer.
The ability to control the directions in which light rays are emitted from each pixel generally requires the use of subpixels in each pixel. The angles of the emitted light rays from the pixel are controlled by controlling the amount of light emitted from each of the subpixels. The subpixels in each pixel may be organized in a two-dimensional array. This consumes display real estate which reduces pixel density and display resolution.
There is therefore a tradeoff involved. More angular control of the emitted light may help to enhance vergence accommodation congruence, but requires that each pixel include an enlarged two-dimensional array of light-emitting subpixels. When less angular control is provided, pixel complexity may be reduced and display resolution may be enhanced, but viewing angles will decrease and the ability for a viewer to look around objects in a displayed three-dimensional will suffer.
It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide an improved autostereoscopic display.